What if education focused less on output—and more on the whole child? Shanina Draughn, Head of School at Macomb Montessori Academy, shares how her team is rewriting the rules of learning in a system obsessed with testing.

 

From embedding social-emotional learning as a core subject, to letting students struggle with grace and grow through guided independence, Shanina makes a powerful case for doing school differently. This episode dives into the challenges of aligning state mandates with Montessori values, and why empathy, executive function, and checking in on students as human beings—not just human doings—can’t wait.

 

A bold, honest conversation with a leader who’s not afraid to fight for what’s right—and what works.